Mini Essay 2

The City of Hope

            Many people think of Los Angeles as a bad environment to live, while others think the complete opposite. The media is such a very confusing appeal for many people. It has its own face towards society. It portrays negative thoughts towards this city to the rich, and it portrays the complete opposite to the poor. The media has a hypocritical mindset. It never sticks with one point of view. It is only people like me that have fully experienced this city that could make a final statement.

            The fact that the city looks like a mess, doesn't mean that all of L.A. is the same. There are some locations within this city that are nice-looking. I believe that every city not only in this nation, but in others also, have their different sides. They all have the new side and they all have their old side; just like we have our old side that most people consider the ghetto such as McArthur Park and South Central for example, New York deals with the same thing. It has its new side such as Manhattan the place where many movies take place whenever it deals with a chick flick love stories, and it also has the old side which most commonly is referred to as the Bronx; which is where violent movies with the theme of gangs would take place in. Despite of what the media has to say; despite of what others may think about my city, nothing changes my thoughts towards it. It might be a city with a lack of fashion; however, it is a city with hope. It has the power to change a person's mentality once you fully experience it.

            In the story Only Heaven by Marjorie Gelhorn Sa'adah, there is a portion that mentions luck within this city. She says that "sometimes you would just consider yourself lucky." This grabbed my attention and from then on began reflecting on it. I never took the values that this city has into consideration. This city unlike others has an enormous amount of resources to offer. It's given me the opportunity to complete my studies up till High School and also the opportunity of currently experiencing the "college life." It's given my family the opportunity to become not only residents of the United States, but also citizens.

            Most of my childhood was spent complaining about my environment. I used to spent time thinking why I was the one with bad luck; why was it me the one who had to live in an ugly location. I was very dubious. It is until now that I comprehend that luck is not defined by what the area looks like, but for what it has to offer. This city has done so much for me. Right now I am in other words, going to school with a free admition. My fee is already taken care of by others thanks to the financial resources that this city has. Now that I think about it, I am the one that should consider myself lucky. I’ve seen the world in a different perspective.

            Let this city be a part of your life. You can’t go wrong with L.A. It has so much for you to explore. It has so many paths to discover. This is a city with hope. This is a city of miracles; this is perhaps the reason why this is called “the city of angels.”

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Project Text Mini Essay 1

Los Angeles

            Los Angeles, the topic that's being discussed throughout the process of this assignment, Project Text, has been by far great. There's been interesting topics discussed such as what people think of Los Angeles and the media being a big part of it. There are pros and cons in this city; however, everyone sees this city through a different perspective. We could see this in some of the stories we’ve gone over. Being born and raised here in Los Angeles, I could reflect upon a time in my life and agree or disagree with some peoples thoughts.

            Cons, is what's most emphasized throughout the lectures and discussions in class. If we take a look at some of the stories such as Los Angeles and Interesting Times, the main focus that's portrayed are the Cons of Los Angeles; Cons such as the ugly and ghetto fashion that the city portrays; on how bad the lifestyle is here in this city. When reading and hearing this, I come to think of an environment where complete disorder is portrayed. A place so dam nasty that not even homeless people would want to live. But as I come back to the real world and analyze my surroundings, I could honestly say that it's actually not that bad. I've lived here in the San Fernando Valley, the outskirts of Los Angeles, my entire life and I could frankly say that not all of L.A. is ugly.

            There are definitely some Pros here in this city such as everything that it provides. It is a big city and there is always something new to discover. Yes indeed, there are some unattractive environments, but nothing that much of a deal. I guess the media has to do a lot with this. Sometimes the media portrays the nice-looking sides of Los Angeles and sometimes they show the complete opposite; it all depends to which audience they are aiming it to. This city has shaped me as an individual. It's made me the person I am today. Some of these discussions we've had in class have disturbed me a little, but it’s only due to the fact that to most people, this city is known for its Cons such as the ones mentioned. Other than that, I believe that all these discussions have been interesting.

            It's interesting to know what other people think about my city. It's interesting to see how much the media can affect the mentality of those who've never been to this city. We could see this in the story Interesting Times and Magic Hour. Both characters in these stories come to L.A. with the hope of being successful; however, they end up living in what they didn't imagine. It was till later that they were able to appreciate everything that the city has done for them. After reading these stories, I began reflecting to the time that my father told me his life story; about the experiences that he went through when he first came to America.

            My father just like the characters from the passages came to this country; to this city, with the hope of a better life. He hoped of being successful. My dad was not in the best situation money-wise. He heard from the media and/or friends or family members that life over here is easy; that everything is given to you. So on my dad goes believing everything he heard and leaving everything behind; his family and friends back in Leon Guanajuato, Mexico. My father came here as an illegal, and as one he worked hard so he could to stay financially up to date with the low income that he got. That myth that my father once heard; the one they said that life was easy here, became a lie to him. Just like the character from Interesting Times, he had trouble adapting to the lifestyle here in Los Angeles. It was till later that he was able to analyze all the good things that this city has done for him. He met the woman that is now known as his wife. Here is where they established a family. Here is where he experienced life in Interesting Times.